Fireworks: Lightning and Fists
by PetalMedic
Summary: In honor of Sasusaku Month. Day 06. Night In. Sakura blames the heat. It's messing up her brain. "Sasuke-kun, are you having a spiritual incest, gay relationship with Naruto?"
1. 01 The Smell of Fresh Paint

**Day 1: **The Smell of Fresh Paint

**Genre:** General/Humor

**Summary: **They are not a perfect couple. They fight, they argue, and they disagree more often than they agree. Sasuke knows this, and still, he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Rating:** K+

**A/N:** Don't forget to review!

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me.

* * *

"It's a boy, I'm telling you!"

"No, Sakura, for the fifth time, it's going to be a girl."

"Are you doubting my woman's intuition, Sasuke-kun?"

_This is stupid,_ Sasuke thinks. He is currently in the kitchen of the newly renovated Uchiha mansion, with his four months pregnant wife, arguing about the gender of their yet-to-born child.

He and Sakura have been married for almost two year now. He had asked her out one year after the victory the Fourth Shinobi War, and had dated her for two full years before finally marrying her. Their relationship had been rocky at first, but that is to be expected after everything that happened between them.

There is no doubt in Sasuke's heart that Sakura has always been _the one_ for him. The one who will restore his clan with him. The one he would give his life for without hesitation. The one he would grow old with. He loves Sakura with all his heart, and their marriage has been blissful and happy.

One month prior, Sasuke had been ecstatic when Sakura had told him she was three months along her pregnancy. He was going to be a father! That night, he had been unable to fall asleep from the excitement of it.

However, he soon learns that with pregnancy comes … well, complications.

For one thing, Sasuke has no idea how to deal with a hormonal Sakura.

_As if her temper isn't enough already. _

He sighs. "Sakura, we are not going to argue about this again. I have a mission in one hour. I need to get ready."

Sakura huffs. "You are not going to make another excuse, Uchiha Sasuke. That's all you do these days. We need to finish this discussion. I want to paint the nursery walls as soon as possible."

Sasuke tries to reason with her. "You are only four months into your pregnancy. There'll be plenty of time to find out if our baby's a girl or boy, and then paint the nursery."

"Ino and I made an agreement not to check the gender of our firstborn. We want it to be a surprise. And I want to paint the walls today!"

Sasuke sighs again. He loves her, but arguing with a pregnant Uchiha Sakura is harder than trying to take away Naruto's ramen.

Without a word, he goes upstairs to prepare for his mission, leaving behind his very angry wife.

For the _he doesn't know how many time_ of the day, Sasuke sighs again.

* * *

When Sasuke comes home that evening from his easy mission (they don't get much action nowadays), he is greeted by the smell of dinner and … fresh paint?

_What?_

Following the scent, he finds himself in front of the door of the soon-to-be nursery.

Cautiously, he opens the door.

To say Sasuke is surprised to find that the walls are all painted a deep shade of purple is an understatement. From the smell, he can tell that the paint's still fresh, and that the job was done only a few hours ago.

"Do you like it?"

He turns around to see Sakura with an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry for this morning. I still think the baby's a boy, but I shouldn't have yelled at you. Purple's fine, right? I just think that purple, especially this shade, goes well for either a boy or a girl. I painted the walls myself."

Sasuke looks at the walls again. Sakura did a marvelous job. Even professional painters couldn't have painted it as perfectly as she did. She must've took a lot of time doing it.

_She's such a perfectionist._

Smirking, he reaches out and ruffles her pink locks. "Aa. Purple's just fine."

And when Sakura smiles up at him like the way she's smiling at him right now, it makes Sasuke thinks that it's all worth it – enduring all the yelling, insults, and arguments. For him, seeing Sakura smile is like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. She is just as bright and warm as the sun, if not more so. She is his personal sun, and most of all, she belongs to him and only him.

They are not a perfect couple. They fight, they argue, and they disagree more often than they agree. Sasuke knows this, and still, he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Uchiha Sasuke, how many time do I have to tell you not to leave muddy footprints in the house?!"


	2. 02 Late

**Day** **2**: Late

**Summary:** "Piggy?" - "Yeah?" - "I think I'm in love." - "What?!" - In which Sakura learns that being late isn't always that bad.

**Genre: **Humor/ Romance

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**A/N: **I almost didn't make it. :) Don't forget to review. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Sakura is so screwed.

She knew from the minute she woke up that today is going to be bad day. First, she had ran out of toothpaste. Then, her hair dryer had broken. Next, she accidentally burned the omelet she was cooking. She couldn't find the pair of heels she wanted to wear, and now, on top of everything, she just missed her bus to work.

_Great, just great._

* * *

Glancing anxiously at her watch, she notes that she is already thirty minutes late to work, and she shivers at the thought of being yelled at by her boss, Tsunade-sama.

_Damn, Tsunade-sama is so going to murder me,_ Sakura thinks despairing.

When the next bus comes, she sits down in the first open seat she finds, which happens to be next to a raven haired young man who looked no more than in his mid-twenties. His hair style is peculiar, shaped like a chicken's butt, but somehow, this man managed to pull this look off perfectly.

"Hi," she says to the handsome stranger, because why not? It takes at least another half hour for her to arrive at the hospital where she works, and if she is going to sit next to him for half an hour, why not get acquainted and make small talks to pass time?

Unfortunately, apparently, this stranger does not share the same sentiments as Sakura, because he only replies with a, "Hn."

Sakura frowns. "I said hi."

The man ignores her, not even moving from his position of facing the window with his earphones plugged in.

She tries again. "Hi. My name is Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you." She even completes it with a warm smile, just in case he is simply too shy to talk.

And this time, she does get a response, but not the one she hopes. The young man turns to her, revealing the darkest eyes she has ever seen, and says, "Stop hitting on me."

Her jaw drops in shock. Who does he think he is? "Excuse me?!"

The dark-haired man scowls, his annoyance clear. "I said, _stop hitting on me_."

How dare he accuses her of such a thing!

Outraged, she snaps, "I was just trying to be nice! I'm _not_ hitting on you! And FYI, you're an ass."

"Hn."

The rest of the ride continues in tensed silence.

* * *

Tsunade's rushing her.

"Sakura – of all days! It doesn't matter now. Listen up, brat, 'cause this is important. You are going to meet the son of the head of the company that's sponsoring our medical research and you're going to show him around. No objections from you. You need to show him the hospital and our systems, because if he decides our hospital isn't good enough, his father will withdraw their financial support from the research on cancer we're doing, understand?"

Tsunade is talking sixty miles an hour, and _Sakura really doesn't understand. _"What?"

Too bad, because Tsunade has already opened the door, revealing –

_Shit._

The man with the chicken butt hair, the one she'd called an ass on the bus earlier this morning, is sitting in the chair of the office, looking just as surprised to see her as she is to see him.

"Sakura, this is Uchiha Sasuke, son of the head of the Uchiha Corps. Mr. Uchiha, Haruno Sakura here will be your guide for today."

God must really hate her.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

She looks at him in surprise. She is currently showing him the staff room, and so far, neither of them has mentioned the bus incident yet.

"What?" she asks him, confused.

"For this morning. I was too harsh," he says, sounding embarrassed.

"Oh. I'm sorry, too. I was being annoying." Sakura grins.

Sasuke returns it with a half-smile, and she finds that he looks really handsome and young when he smiles instead of scowling

He surprises her again when he says, "How about I make it up to you? Lunch is on me."

Sakura says, "You don't have to. It's no big deal."

"I insist."

She smiles. "Thanks, Sasuke."

"Aa."

* * *

That night, she makes a call to her best friend.

"Piggy?"

"Yeah, Forehead?"

"I think I'm in love."

"What?!"

* * *

And, with a dreamy smile on her face, Sakura falls to sleep, thinking, _maybe being late does have its perks_.


	3. 03 Phobia

**Day 3:** Phobia

**Summary:** Sasuke didn't really understand how Naruto's unexpected phobia of thunder led to him cuddling with Sakura, but it did, and Sasuke learned that life can be quite surprising sometimes. "Oh my god, were you _smiling_ just now, Sasuke?"

**Rating: **K

**Genre: **Humor/Angst

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me.

**A/N: **I'm sorry that this is late. I was busy today. Sorry. And don't forget to review! This prompt was hard.

* * *

Team Taka shoots through the forest, leaping from branch to branch with incredible speed. Sasuke leads in front, with Karin and Suigetsu to his left and right respectively, while Jūgo takes up the rear. The four travels silently, mostly because they are all too tired to start a conversation.

Lightning flashes, briefly lighting up the gray sky.

Sasuke increases his speed. He does not care for the rain. The sooner they reach an inn, the better.

Karin and Suigetsu groan as they struggle to keep up.

Fortunately for the members of Taka, within ten minutes, they are able to find an inn – albeit a shabby one – and finally, Sasuke orders, "Stop. We'll rest here for tonight. Karin, Suigetsu, take care of the check-in. Jūgo, I want you to check the perimeter to make sure we've lost those hunter-nins."

Three relieved sighs. Then, "Hai."

Sasuke gives them a nod, and they each set off to do their tasks, eager to get some rests.

A loud thunder roars in the distance.

Sasuke smirks, leaning against a random tree. _Thunder, huh?_

He's never been the sentimental type, but with the thunder and inn – plus the fact he has nothing to do – memories of his genin days start surging forward, and one in particular he remembers with a certain degree of fondness.

* * *

It was only him, Naruto, and Sakura. Kakashi, apparently, had another A-ranked mission he had to take care of, so he couldn't come with them. Not that they needed his help. The mission they were given was only C-ranked, and it was merely to escort a traveling merchant. Sure, they had one or two encounters with bandits, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.

After completing the mission, they had set out to head back to the village. However, a storm was on the horizon, and not wanting to travel in such weather unnecessarily, the three teammates had agreed to stay at an inn until the weather clears.

Naruto had been the one who checked them in. Following his teammates' wishes, Naruto had gotten them one room (_it's okay, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, I don't mind sharing a room with you guys_) with three beds (_there's no way I'm sleeping in the same bed as you if it's not necessary, dobe)_.

Everything was well – until Sasuke was woken in the middle of the night by a strange noise.

Slowly, he reached for the kunai he kept under his pillow. (_yes, he's that paranoid_)

He got up, and noted that Sakura, who was on the other side of the room, was still sound asleep. He didn't sense any foreign chakra, so that left …

The dobe.

Looking down at the bed next to him (_Naruto's head was covered by the blanket_), Sasuke strained to hear the sound. Listening more closely, Sasuke identifies the sound as sniffling. Was the dobe crying?

Sasuke tapped Naruto's shoulder with an uncharacteristic gentleness. "Dobe?"

His only answer was more sniffling.

Lightning flashed, and thunders roared.

"Sasuke-kun?" asked a sleepy Sakura. "What's wrong? Why are you up?" She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and Sasuke finds that she looks kind of cute, like a kitten; Sasuke's always liked cats.

He quickly dismissed the thought.

_The mission must've took more out of me than I thought. _

"Something's wrong with the dead last," he says. Immediately, Sakura's eyes filled with concern, and Sasuke had to tell himself – twice – that he didn't care and wasn't jealous.

Sakura tip-toed her way to Sasuke's side. "Maybe we should peel off the blanket?"

"Hn."

"I'm taking that as a yes?"

"Hn."

"Right."

Sakura slowly pulled back the blanket covering Naruto's head, and was shocked to find the blonde shaking and sobbing fiercely. She exchanged a worried glance with Sasuke.

"Hey, Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Frightened blue orbs gazed back at her. "T-The thunder-r. I'm s-scared of t-thunder."

_Huh? The dobe's scared of thunder?_

Sakura hesitated. She bit her lip. "Well, if it helps, how about all of us sleep together in your bed? That way, you won't have to be scared."

Naruto shed more tears. "Oh, will you, _will you_? _Sakura-chan_? _Teme_?"

Sasuke wanted to protest, but Sakura shot him a look.

He relented, "Only if Sakura sleeps in the middle, I don't want to sleep next to you, dobe."

The teary grateful look Naruto sent him made him wince.

And so, with Sasuke on the right, Sakura squished in the middle, and Naruto on the left, Team 7 fell into deep slumber.

The next morning, Sasuke is more than horrified - not to mention embarrassed - to find that somehow, during the night, Naruto had managed to fall off the bed, and most important -

he, the great Uchiha Sasuke, had ended up cuddling with Sakura.

* * *

"Yo, Sasuke."

A voice snaps him back into the present. Suigetsu is looking at him weirdly.

"What?" Sasuke snaps.

Suigetsu grins mischievously. "Oh my god, Sasuke, were you _smiling_ just now?"

Sasuke glares at him. "Hn." _No._

"Yes, you were!"

Luckily for Suigetsu, Jūgo appears just in time. "Sasuke-sama, please come inside. It's going to rain soon."

With one last glare at the white-haired man, Sasuke says, "Aa."

* * *

Haruno Sakura looks at the raging storm from the Hokage's Tower.

_Sasuke-kun, where are you?_

* * *

Review please! All review are welcome!


	4. 04 There Was No Warning

**Day 4:** There Was No Warning

**Summary:** In these times of hardships, Sakura and Sasuke have to learn to work with what they have, and to treasure every precious moments – because each moment might be their last.

**Rating: **K

**Genre: **Angst/Hurt/Comfort

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me.

**A/N: **Screw trying to keep up with the prompts. I'm doing this at my own pace. I'll finish this in August if I have to (probably will). *sigh* Sorry, guys. It's my first time participating in SSM, and I've learned it's damn near impossible to keep up with the prompts if you writing them on the day they're due – especially if you are aiming for around 1000 words per chapter.

* * *

_What's the point of fighting? In the end, we all lose – a way or another._

* * *

The plague came without warning.

It was three months after the victory of the Fourth Shinobi War, courtesy of one stubborn Uzumaki Naruto (_Believe it!_) and another equally obstinate Uchiha Sasuke (_Hn_). The five nations were recovering rather slowly, and aftermaths of the war could still be seen everywhere. The short peace that came with the victory of the war had lulled people all throughout the five nations into a false sense of security and hope, and so, naturally, when the plague hit, it hit them hard.

Naruto was the first to succumb to the disease.

When Sakura first heard that Naruto had caught a cold, she did not pay any attention to it. After all, why should she? It was the flu season in Konoha, and knowing the blonde, he would have been better by next morning.

However, Sakura began to suspect something was terribly amiss when, less than a week later, Hinata approached her, worry etched onto her face, saying that Naruto was burning a really high fever.

Upon arriving at Naruto's small apartment, Sakura had tried to curb the fever, but she found that he was unresponsive to any treatment she gave him. It was almost like he was unconsciously blocking her chakra from his systems. With no other choice, she had taken him to the hospital, while appointing Hinata the task of fetching Tsunade-sama.

Yet, not even Tsunade nor Shizune, who came along with the blonde Hokage, could figure what's wrong. Sakura spent hours with them, going through medical textbooks faster than Ino went through her boyfriends. Still, even with the three – inarguably – best medical ninjas working together, they could not figure out the disease.

Naruto's condition quickly deteriorated to the point where Kurama was the only thing keeping him alive.

Within days, Hinata and all the medical staff – minus Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade – who'd come into contact with Naruto were all rushed into the hospital, bearing the same exact symptoms as Naruto. When the Kazekage, Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage all reported similar cases occurring in their own villages, Tsunade had looked at Sakura with fear in her amber eyes.

And it was like the war all over again.

* * *

In two months' time, the plague had wiped out three quarters of the entire population of the five nations.

Naruto still hadn't died yet, and Sakura was beginning to think that – cruel as it was – death might be more merciful than to have the blonde ninja like this – not dead, but not really alive either.

The five shinobi villages – Konoha, Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa – combined all of their best medical staff, but still, none of them could find a cure. It was almost as if the disease had a mind of its own.

Sakura – who came into contact with the plague on a daily bases more times than she cared to count – never came down with a single cough or sneeze. Yet, people who were strong, healthy and hadn't had the slightest contact with the sick fell to the plague for no apparent reasons.

_People like Naruto_, Sakura's heart clenched at the thought.

Without the blonde, it was as if Team 7 fell apart. Kakashi-sensei had fallen into depression after hearing about his student's condition. It was just one loss too many in Kakashi's life. He began to refuse to eat, to drink, to_ live_. Kakashi had simply given up on life. But fate was cruel. Kakashi lived. He tried everything – even going so far as overdose on pills. Still, Death refused to take Kakashi.

The plague roused other problems as well. Rogue ninjas took advantage of their weakness and had started to raid the villages. The dwindling amount of shinobi left in the Leaf had hardly been able to hold off the enemy. The rogue ninjas know this, and so they are constantly warring against the Konoha shinobi. With Konoha and the rest of its allies in this tattered state, it was only a matter of time before the rogue ninjas win. Sai had died honorably, a kunai to the throat, defending his village with his last breath.

Ino had been heartbroken.

So was Sakura.

* * *

Unrest and fear filled the streets of Konoha nowadays. They had won a war – only for another one to start again.

Maybe it was because she was desperate for a friend, a shoulder to cry on, or maybe she needed a distraction from all the stress that seemed to be part of her everyday life, but, for whatever reason, Sakura and Sasuke grew close during these times of hardships.

Besides her, he was the only sane one left from Team 7. Naruto's condition, Sai's death, and Kakashi's depression had taken a toll on both of them. Sasuke had not known Sai well, but, begrudgingly, he did count Naruto and Kakashi as two of his important people. Sakura had suffered the worst of it. She had known – and loved – all three of them, and losing the three of them in the span of two months was a hard blow.

Sakura and Sasuke were both members of Team 7, and these losses _were_ their losses, which meant that, as teammates, they shouldered the burden together. Sasuke would always come to Sakura after a mission to have her heal his injuries. It was a sign of trust, because, in these dangerous times, Sasuke trusted no one to heal him other than Sakura. He'd rather bleed out and die than to let someone else heal him, and he'd told her as much the one time she'd cried about feeling useless.

In turn, Sakura would always welcome Sasuke with a soft smile, because he was the only one that could bring a smile to her face these days. Sometimes, if he was lucky, she would even welcome him with a smile _and_ tomatoes, because she knew just how much he loved them.

Without knowing it, Sakura had given Sasuke a reason to live, to keep on fighting, just as he had become her pillar of strength.

He fought – for the village his brother loved so much, but also for her smile as well. Because in his opinion, there was nothing in the world prettier than Sakura's smiles, and he wanted to her smile again; not the weak, half-hearted smiles tinted with sadness that she gave him every time he returned from a mission, he wanted to see her _genuine_ smile. And he vowed to fight for it.

She endured – for what remained of their village, for the hope of finding a cure, and for _him_, the pretty boy who had unknowingly stolen her heart from the first time she met him. She swore to love him only, and, true to her words, she did, even to this day. He gave her strength when she lacked it, and she would be forever grateful for that.

* * *

These were dark times – the plague, the chaos, and the wars – but fighting side by side with each other, they had no doubts that they would pull through. Because she was Haruno Sakura and he was Uchiha Sasuke, and together, they would make history.

* * *

They did it. They really did it. It took them two and a half years of persisting and believing, but they had truly ended the wars and the plague. Sakura still couldn't believe it. Tsunade smiled at her proudly.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, for your immense efforts in restoring peace to not only Konoha but all of the five nations, I hereby name the two of you as the Sixth Hokages! Do you promise to protect the village with your lives, if necessary? Will you care for its citizens, the young and the old, the sick and the poor, and vow to bring justice and peace in your reigns to the best of your abilities?"

Without missing a beat, Sakura and Sasuke replied in unison, "Yes."

"Congratulations, then. You two are officially co-Hokages."

The crowd cheered. Tsunade beamed at Sakura, pride clear on her face.

"We really did it," Sakura whispered to Sasuke, wonder in her eyes.

He smiled - a _real_ smile, not a smirk - and took her hand in his large, calloused one. "Aa."

Konoha was merely a shadow of what it used to be, the once proud city reduced to patches of ruins, but they would change that in time, the same way they had ended the period of chaos the plague had brought upon them – _one baby step at a time_.

* * *

_Naruto, Sai, Kakashi-sensei, if only you guys were here. You would be so proud of us._

* * *

**A/N** _(again, I know)_**:** It took me long enough to think of an appropriate ending. I didn't want it to be super angst. Tell me what you think. I'm sorry that this was late. I hope you enjoyed. And please take a moment to review! It means so much to me! :)


	5. 05 Keepsake

**Day 5:**Keepsake

**Summary: **She kept it because it was a reminder of a love and a friendship in simpler times, something  
that she had lost forever but still sorely missed.

**Genre:** Angst

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me.

**Warnings: **Random, dark, and bizarre doesn't begin this describe this one-shot. Btw, this is more Sakura centric than SasuSaku.

* * *

Sakura kept it with her all throughout the years.

She brought it with her in her weapon pouch on missions, kept it in her pocket when she was in her civilian clothes. Sakura went everywhere with it. It gave her comfort and support in the darkest times, especially the first few months after Sasuke-kun defected the Leaf and Naruto left to train.

God, she had felt so worthless. She was always left behind, an incapable kunoichi who was probably better off as a civilian. Even Kakashi-sensei abandoned her. He was nowhere to be found. Usually, she could glimpse his silver hair on the village streets, but after the boys left, it was as if Kakashi disappeared. Didn't he remember he had one more student? He had told her that she was his favorite student. Didn't that mean anything? Didn't he _care_? Apparently not.

He didn't even bother to show his face.

Nobody cared. Shinobi had no feelings. And that was a truth she needed to accept a long time ago.

In the shinobi world, there is no mercy or compassion, no love or kindness, there is only death and darkness. And she'd best remember that and engrave it into her heart.

* * *

Her precious red ribbon. The only one that never betrayed her. She gripped it tightly, fingers digging into the cloth, but never too hard. Sakura took good care of her ribbon. She would not reward faithfulness with destruction. She was not Sasuke. She was Sakura, and she had what Sasuke always lacked: humanity.

Her keepsake. Her ribbon. It became her grip – her _only_ grip – on reality. Her salvation from descending into madness.

How fitting that, in the end, only a ribbon remained by her side.

All those that betrayed her_ will_ burn.

* * *

Training with Tsunade was hard, much harder than she had anticipated.

Tsunade didn't care about Sakura either. She pretended to, but on the training ground, all pretenses dropped, and she came at Sakura with a fury. Sometimes it was as though Tsunade wanted to kill Sakura. Sure, Tsunade said otherwise after each training session, but Sakura knew better than to trust her words. Shinobi were killers, and above all, they were liars – _good_ liars. Just like Kakashi-sensei. He'd taught them, _those who disobeyed the rules are scum, but those who abandoned their comrades are lower than scum_. He'd told her she was his favorite student, a relief from dealing with the two boy. Empty words were all they were. Wasn't he the one who abandoned her? She was his comrade, his subordinate, his genin. And he had left her without a second thought. Favorite student? To hell with it. What a great liar he was, and she believed it, every word he said, until that day he showed his true nature.

Yet, perhaps she was the biggest liar of them all, with her bright smiles and kind words and malicious intentions.

Good. She was finally learning.

* * *

Her precious red ribbon. Her keepsake. Her grip on reality. And now, the ribbon is her sole restraint from turning into a monster. It reminded her of just _why_ she was fighting so hard. Sometimes, it was hard to remember. It was too easy to get lost in the bloodshed and death that lingered with her even after missions. She must admit, there was a certain thrill in the rush of adrenaline on dangerous missions that made her feel _alive_. Out on the field, it was like dancing. A lethal dance, where one mistake could lead to death, but Sakura couldn't help but find a certain beauty in it.

Still, her ribbon kept her in check. Whenever her hand brushed against it while reaching for a kunai from her weapon's pouch, or whenever she saw the red piece of fabric, it reminded of who she was. She was Sakura, and she was not Sasuke. She would not become a ruthless monster. But neither was she Naruto. She would not become a naïve, hopeful bunch of sunshine.

She was Sakura, and she had her own way of doing things.

* * *

Her friendship/rivalry with Ino was strained, at best. They had become best friends again, training under the same master. Still, there was a wall between them now. Their friendship was no longer as pure as it had been. It was tainted with resentment and distrust. Sakura talked to Ino. Ino talked to Sakura. But they were both wary of the other. Ino because it was Sakura who broke apart their friendship first, and for a boy at that. Sakura because she was simply wary of everyone, as befit a true ninja. Ino hadn't experienced the same thing Sakura had. Somewhere along the line, it was as if the two had moved to live in two different worlds.

People from different world could coexist, but they could not become friends, not truly.

* * *

Her red ribbon. Ino had gifted it to her. To help her get stronger, gain more confidence.

And Sakura did.

She got stronger, faster, and smarter. She could take on twenty rouge nins on her own without a sweat. In a fight, she was nothing but a blur, killing the enemies before they were even aware of her presence. She was shrewd enough to have beaten Shikamaru in shōgi several times, and even when she lost, she had been told she was a formidable opponent.

Sakura had become stronger, but not in the way Ino had expected. Perhaps that was why their friendship did not last. They both had different ideals than each other. In a way, they were deluding themselves. Ino expected Sakura to remain the same sweet little girl in their academy days. Sakura expected Ino to be just like every other shinobi, a cold-blooded liar with no feelings.

It was no wonder they were the way they were today.

Still, sometimes, at night, she looked at the red ribbon, and she would think of Ino – and their tragic friendship.

* * *

Sakura flourished in the darkness. She gathered all her misery, her anger, her hatred, and channeled it into fuel for strength. She dragged herself up by fingernails, desperately gripping and scrambling for a hold, hoping to reach the same sky as her boys. She climbed higher and higher, until everything, everyone was nothing more than a tiny dot. She was high, but it was still not high enough. She still did not catch up with Naruto and Sasuke. Hell, she couldn't even catch up with Kakashi or Tsunade. How could she, when they were _flying_ – no, _soaring_, and she was only pulling herself up by fingernails?

It was not fair. That by dragging and scrambling she was already giving her all and reaching her limit, yet _they_, no matter how many storms came against them, could still find the strength to soar higher and higher.

But it was okay. She was a shinobi. She knew that life was not fair, and she knew just how to deal with it.

* * *

She could see it now.

It was a tiny spark, but a spark nevertheless. A spark that had the potential to become a raging fire, if it was properly nourished. Sakura would see to it that it was.

Her anguish would be the best nourishment.

* * *

Naruto returned.

Sakura gave him a sweet, warm smile, welcoming her blonde teammate home. They walked and talked and joked, trying to catch up with each other. He told her of his training with Jiraiya, of his improved Rasengan, and boasted of his new strength. She listened and smiled and laughed accordingly. In turn, she filled him in on the events that went in the village.

He remained none the wiser of her change of character. That was just as well. She fooled everyone else, so why should he be different? Oh, she loved him all right. To some degree. She hadn't forgotten the fact that he had left her – just like Sasuke and Kakashi.

Speaking of which, Sakura saw Kakashi for the first time in two and a half years.

He looked the same, with those stupid porn books of his strapped to the waist. Tsunade wanted her and Naruto to fight against Kakashi. Sakura complied obediently, but left most of the work to Naruto. She didn't want to show all of her powers just yet, so she left it at a few chakra enhanced punches.

Naruto and Kakashi were equally surprised, jaws dropped and eyes as big as saucers. They thought she was just a medic. Really, they ought to have known that medics make the best killers. She'd hate to think what they would look like if they knew that she had learned to kill and maim and destroy enemies without so much as a second thought.

As expected, Naruto had beaten Kakashi with a ridiculous tactic. Afterward, on their way to eat, when the blonde started jabbering about ramen, Sakura tuned him out and idly wondered ways she could 'accidentally' sever somebody's vocal cord.

Maybe she could figure out how to accidently castrate somebody, too. It was a nice thought.

* * *

The spark glowed just a bit brighter, evolving into a small flame.

Sakura smiled as she clutched her red ribbon. Soon, the spark would become a fire that would devour everything that crossed its way.

All within due time, of course.

* * *

Onyx clashed against emerald.

It would seem that fate willed them to meet again.

Well, maybe it was just her stubbornness. She _did_ had to knock out Kiba, Sai, and Lee to get to him. They would be so mad when they woke up, but she really didn't care about any of them. If they wanted to be worked up about something as trivial as that, let them be. She had more pressing matters.

Not to mention that if her plan worked, they would be looking at her corpse when they woke up; both hers and Sasuke's.

She pursed her lips and eyed Sasuke cautiously. He did the same. Smart boy. He saw the truth in her eyes, even when Naruto and the rest of Konoha did not – _could not_. Sasuke wasn't fooled, as expected. He knew who'd she had become. Not quite a monster, but not quite a human either. Her jade green eyes were filled with false kindness, her smile faked warmth. This was not the same girl he knew, and he was wary of this stranger who had replaced her.

She loved him, yes. With all her heart, no doubt about it. But over the years she had learned to hate him also, as she did with all the original members of Team 7.

She loathed the man – _boy_ – who had made her into what she was today. If he hadn't decided to leave, she would have had her happy ending. Her boys would be with her. They would have rose through the ranks together, forming bonds that would bind that together for the rest of their lives. Her friendship with Ino might have been salvaged. He shattered it all for her, turning her into _this_. A bitter kunoichi hardened by the seasons.

She had climbed high enough now, and she was beginning to unfurl her wings and _fly_. Fly and soar the same skies as her boys, but she had paid a high price for her wings. Too high of a price. She had paid with her innocence. She had grew and watched the world become colder and colder. Colors started to darken around her, until she was only seeing in shades of black, the color of despair.

The sound of a sword unsheathing brought a smile to her face. It would be a sweet sound to die to. Much better than screams and wails of anguish. A better death than she could have hoped for.

She searched his eyes, looking for something she knew wouldn't be there. In one swift motion, she brought forward her own short sword.

Their blades clashed, steel on steel.

His eyes met hers, and for a moment, she could glimpse a flicker of regret before they jumped apart. Sounds of birds chirping filled the air, and she barely escaped from being impaled by his chidori. Perched on the railing of the bridge, she saw an opening and charged. It was his turn to dodge when her chakra scalpels almost severed the muscles in his left arm. She gave him a sardonic smile, and he returned with a bitter smirk. They readied themselves to attack again –

"Stop it!"

Naruto.

With what must be two platoons of Konoha ninjas behind him.

Damn Naruto. Damn Konoha. Damn them all.

* * *

It was time.

The tiny spark had matured into a raging fire, burning away her last ties to the ground.

At last, she was free to soar.

Still, she hesitated. She thought of her ribbon, her only reminder of _before_. She had been spent so long climbing, fighting for every grip, she had forgotten what it felt like to be on the ground, to not have to worry about falling.

Was she really ready to fly?

She was.

She had to be, because it was too late to go back now. She must either choose to fly, or fall to her demise.

* * *

It turned into a three-way battle. Sakura against Sasuke against Naruto and Konoha.

How the hell did this happen? It didn't matter, because there was no time to think.

Sakura acted on instinct, punching every foe that came her way, regardless of who they were. It wasn't like she could tell either. The only distinguishable ones were Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto. The rest of the shinobi all blurred in her eyes. One landed a kick to her stomach, and she grunted. Twisting around, she grabbed the person's hand, broke it, and sent him flying somewhere.

She spared a moment to look for Sasuke and Naruto. They were squaring off alone with each other at the other end of the bridge. Sasuke went forward to attack, but Naruto was only dodging. Kakashi stood near Naruto, ready to provide support.

They were leaving her out, _again_.

In fury, she punched one shinobi in front of her into her comrade, incapacitating them both. There was only two left. Panting softly, she eyed them coldly. They were both sustaining wounds. It would be an easy fight then. Gathering chakra into her feet, she charged toward them and finished them off with poisoned senbons.

It was only afterwards that Sakura realized she had unconsciously aimed for the kill this entire time. The two Konoha teams were all dead. Something clutched at her heart. Was it guilt? Maybe. She didn't give much thought to it, because the next minute, she flew into Kakashi with enough force to knock the silver-haired man to the ground. Her kunai grazed his cheek, but he pulled away quickly.

She caught Sasuke's eyes, just for a moment, and she saw his eyes, the color of blood, _crinkled_ a little with something akin to amusement – _insane_ amusement.

And that was when she knew. Sasuke the boy was truly gone.

In his place was Sasuke the monster, and he meant to shed all of their blood.

_Shit._

* * *

Her precious red ribbon. She'd never admit it, but she kept it around for more than just the purpose of retaining her sanity. True, the only reason she hasn't turned into Sasuke #2 (she was pretty damn close, though) was because of her ribbon and its constant reminder of what she was fighting for.

No, she kept it all these years because it was a reminder of a love and a friendship in simpler times, something that she had lost forever but still sorely missed.

She missed the way Ino smiled at her, joy and kindness sparkling in her eyes each time she helped Sakura up after she had fallen down. She missed the way Sasuke used to be so reclusive, yet adorable at the same time, the Sasuke that actually _smiled_ from time to time.

Most of all, she missed feeling innocent and being blissfully unaware of the cruelty of the world. She missed being _happy_. It had been long since she had genuinely smiled.

_Too_ long.

* * *

She looked between the insane red eyes of Sasuke, the angry cerulean blue eyes of Naruto, the flinty onyx eyes of Kakashi. And she made a decision. It was not in her nature to go down without a fight.

So she did not.

And they all burned for it.

* * *

Her tears betrayed her.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm not dead, people! Isn't that amazing? Sorry for my snail-like pace of updating. :) Review/Follow/Favorite, please? *puppy dog eyes* Btw, it's 3 days 'till Sasu-chan's birthday, July 23rd! Anyone excited?


	6. 06 Night In

**Day 6:** Night In

**Summary: **Sakura blames the heat. Really."Are you having a spiritual incest, gay relationship with Naruto?"

**Genre:** Humor

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** Naruto does not belong to me.

**A/N:** For the unbearable heat. This fic is dedicated to you.

**Warnings: **This is SasuSaku. lol.

* * *

Sakura stands under a tree on the training ground, looking sullenly at Naruto and Sasuke, who are still sparring. Sai sits next to her, sketching in his notebook. Kakashi squat downs on a tree branch above them, nose sticking in his orange book.

"How long are they going to spar for?" asks Sakura, impatience clear in her voice. She and Sai have been done for at least thirty minutes now. And it is absolutely_ torture_ to wait for Naruto and Sasuke. Even though they are standing in the shade, the summer heat is unbearable, and Sakura is all sweaty. So are Sai and Kakashi. She knows because they _stink_. She is pretty sure so does she.

"Let them spar a little more. Ever since the war ended, Naruto has been busy with Hokage training, and Sasuke is under probation, so this is the only time the two of them gets to train. You know how restless the two of them gets," says Kakashi. His eyes never leaves the pages of his book.

"Fine. Let them vent out their frustration on the training ground. I'm cool with that. But why do we have to wait for them?"

Sai looks up from his sketching. "Hm. Ugly, can it be that you are going through your menopause? I've read that women tend to have hot flashes during menopause."

A muscle ticks in Sakura's right eye. "Sai, I'm one second from punching you to Suna."

Sai offers her a fake smile.

Sakura glares at him.

Kakashi ignores them all.

And that's how they stayed for the duration of Naruto and Sasuke's spar.

* * *

Lunch is – well – straight-out awful.

Sakura doesn't get anything except a glass of cool water. Her face is flushed from the temperature outside, and her head aches like someone's pounding on it. She furiously blinks away the double vision, and downs the water faster than Naruto can inhale ramen. Immediately, she orders another glass. Ayame-chan looks at her concernedly, but Sakura manages a smile.

The heat. Sakura is seriously not a summer person. She shudders as she imagines summer in Suna, where it's hot even in winter.

She looks at her companions. Naruto is inhaling ramen, as usual, and talking to Sasuke at the same time. As her head swims, she idly wonders how he can eat and talk coherently at the same time. Kakashi is done already and is currently spacing out. Sai eating quietly, observing Naruto's exchange with Sasuke.

Sakura excuses herself early.

* * *

The next day is even hotter. Sakura has no desire to go outside, but she is out of food, _and_ her stomach is growling like crazy.

With no choice, she braves the hot sun.

Ten minutes into her walk, she feels as if she is being fried alive.

All the nausea, dizziness, double vision, and headache from yesterday return tenfold, and she groans. Kind vendors ask her if she is okay. Most of the Konoha population knows just how intolerable Sakura is of the heat. She thanks them and goes on.

The sooner she returns to her shady, cool apartment, the better.

However, it is then that she spots Naruto and Sasuke sitting together in a teahouse, both wearing solemn expression.

_Huh?_

Curious, she masks her chakra and makes her way to the teahouse. Neither shinobi notices her, too engaged in her conversation, so she sits in another stall that is obscured from theirs and decides to eavesdrop.

Sakura strains to listen, but she could only pick out bits and bits of their words.

"Sakura-chan deserves to know…..Kakashi notices..."

"Dobe….like…you…but…damn nervous."

"…always have me…there for you…"

"I don't know…..she seems….."

"…worry…loves you…know that."

"...glad I have you….."

"…closest….!"

"Hn…Naruto"

"…soft on me?"

"Shut up."

"…your feelings…I'm happy…"

"Hn."

"…tell her….hospital…I'll go with you."

* * *

Sakura chokes on her spit. She blames the heat. Really. It's messing up her brain. She did not just hear a conversation of what sounded like Sasuke-kun and Naruto getting ready to tell her that they have feelings for each other.

She did not.

She hopes.

* * *

As she is waiting in line – a _long_ line – to pay for her grocery, Sakura overhears a number of people talking, but one conversation in particular catches her attention.

"Have you seen Naruto lately? My, he looks every bit like his father!"

"Yes. That boy will be a great Hokage, no doubt, but I don't like how he's always hanging out with that Uchiha kid."

_Always hanging out?_ She gulps as she remembers the conversation between Sasuke and Naruto earlier. _It doesn't mean anything._

"Well, their mothers _were_ close friends. Remember Kushina-chan and Mikoto-chan? Those two were inseparable back in the days."

"'Like mother, like son,' I suppose. The brat looks like his mother, I'll give him that much. The Uchiha brat and Naruto are practically inseparable, too. It's like they're glued together. I swear, they have it worse than their mothers."

_Glued together? Oh Kami-sama. _

A hand taps her on the shoulder, and Sakura jumps.

An old lady behind her smiles, "Sorry, dear, didn't mean to scare you."

Sakura smiles back. The lady was one of her patients at the hospital. She is such a sweet old lady, almost like a grandmother to Sakura. "No, it's okay. I was just distracted."

The old lady nods toward the two men that Sakura was just listening to. "Isn't it great? Your teammates are getting along just fine. Mikoto's kid – Sasuke, right? – seems to be doing well. I've seen him and Kushina's son. Such good friends. May their mothers see this in heaven."

"Y-yeah," Sakura stammers. "Sasuke's been doing just great, even though he can't wait for probation to end. Naruto is already asking Tsunade-sama for mission together with Sasuke."

The lady chuckles. "Their friendship is quite something. I envy them, you know. Their kind of closeness isn't something that can be achieved easily."

Sakura nods shakily.

_Always together out? Glued together? Closeness? _

She flees from the market, heading to Ino's place in the speed of light, tales of the conversation between Naruto and Sasuke and what she just heard already on her mouth.

* * *

Ino stares at her incredulously.

"You're telling me that you think something's going on with Sasuke and Naruto?!"  
Sakura nods miserably. "Yes. The evidence's everywhere, Piggy!"

"Not that I have something against gay people, but aren't those two spiritual brothers or something?"

She nods affirmative.

Ino looks perplexed. "Hinata _did_ say that Naruto's been spending less time with her lately. I thought it was just Hokage training. And some of my customers at the flower shops did mention something similar to what you've told me."

"What about the others? Did they say anything?" Sakura asks.

"Naruto hasn't met with them for months."

She despairs. "Because he's with Sasuke whenever he's not training. _Gods_, Ino."

Ino looks equally horrified – and convinced. "I can see it now, Forehead. I saw them passed by my flower shop many times. I even saw Sasuke-kun _smiling_ and _laughing_ at something Naruto said one time. I brushed it off, thinking it was nothing, but who knew?"

"Shit," Sakura curses.

"What?"

"We have our weekly Team 7 dinner. Tonight. At my place."

"I feel for ya, Forehead."

"Wait."

"What now?"

"Does that mean I'm going to end up with Hinata?! I love Hinata, but not like _that_!"

"Oh, Forehead," Ino says sympathetically.

* * *

Dinner is awkward – for Sakura at least.

Kakashi is out on a mission. Naruto has extra training from Tsunade. And Sai excuses himself by calling and saying he is not well because of the heat.

Sakura can't blame him. The heat's terrible, but that means she has dinner alone with Sasuke-kun.

One can just see the awkwardness in the air. It is terribly apparent. She isn't comfortable with him, and he isn't comfortable with her. Sakura tries hard to suppress any thoughts of her new findings and focus on the dinner, but it isn't working as well as she hoped.

"You weren't at the hospital today."

She looks up from her food, startled. His deep, obsidian eyes make her heart flutters. Swallowing, she replies, "It's my day off."

"Aa."

They resume eating, but Sakura is well aware of Sasuke observing her. He gaze is discerning, making it hard for her eat without feeling self-conscious.

When they are finished, Sakura stands up to clear away the table – and Sasuke uses this as a chance to grab her hand.

Her eyes meet his, emerald and onyx clashing.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He releases her hand and looks away. "I have something to tell you."

_Oh, no. _

Sakura licks her lips nervously. What should she do? _Screw it, the truth shall set you free_. "Funny, I have something to ask you, too."

He looks at her, puzzled. "You do?"

"Yeah. Mind if I go first?"

"Hn."

She takes it as a _go-ahead_. Taking a deep breath, she blurts out, "Are you having a spiritual incest, gay relationship with Naruto?"

Sasuke sputters – _sputters_. "W-What?"

Seeing his astonished expression, Sakura blushes. "A-Ah, it's nothing. Forget it."

He looks at her blankly, then, "Did you just suggest that_ I'm gay for Naruto_?"

She winces. "It's nothing! I'm just being stupid. Nevermind."

"_Sakura._"

She relents. "Fine. I happened to hear some of your conversation with Naruto today at the teahouse. I swear I didn't mean to. You two just looked so serious, so I wanted to find out what was going on. And then I heard that you two were discussing me, and what I heard sounded strangely like you and Naruto – _ahh_, have feelings for each other and that you guys wanted to tell me."

Sasuke's eyes widen with surprise.

Sakura's heart shatters just a little, but she will support her best friends, no matter what.

In a gentle voice, she tells him, "It's okay, Sasuke-kun. I don't care about your sexual orientation. I care about _you_ – you and Naruto both. As long as the both of you are happy, it's fine with me. Who you are with won't change anything, okay? So don't worry about it."

"_Sakura_," Sasuke repeats, "I'm not in a relationship with the Dobe. That's disgusting."

She is utterly lost now. "But…the conversation at the teahouse…"

He sighs. "I have something to tell you, yes. And it has to do with what Naruto and I were discussing this afternoon, but it's not what you think it is."

"It's not?" she asks skeptically.

"No. Sakura – look, this is new to me, too – but you are the only one that has always been there for me – besides Naruto – through the good times and the bad. I don't love you –"

The words hit Sakura hard, knocking the air out of her breath, but his next words surprise her even more.

"- but I can learn, I think. My time back in Konoha made me realize that, and – _god_, this is so embarrassing – but I would like us to become more than friends, Sakura. Will you go out with me?"

She is shocked into silent for a moment.

Sasuke misreads her silence and begins to look worried, and that adorable expression on his face makes her heart melt. Smiling widely, she yells, "Yes, I will go out with you. Yes, yes, _yes_!"

Smirking, Sasuke picks her up and presses his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"Thank you."

Sakura sheds happy tears. "You're welcome, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

_Later:_

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"What was the conversation between you and Naruto at the teahouse?"

* * *

_"Sakura-chan deserves to know about how you feel. Kakashi notices, too."_

_"Dobe, I like her, you know that but I'm so damn nervous."_

_"Don't worry, you will always have me and the rest of Team 7. We're there for you."_

_"I don't know about telling her, though. She seems distracted – _odd_ – lately."_

_"Again, don't worry, Sakura-chan loves you, we all know that."_

_"I'm glad I have you to talk to, and not Kakashi and that Sai."_

_"Of course I'll help out my closest friends!"_

_"Hn. Thanks, Naruto"_

_"Uchiha, are you going soft on me?"_

_"Shut up."_

_"About your feelings for Sakura-chan, I'm happy for you guys."_

_"Hn."_

_"C'mon, Teme, go tell her now. I think she's at the hospital today. I'll go with you."_

* * *

Sakura frowns.

"I feel stupid now."

Sasuke half-smiles, amusement dancing in his dark eyes – and Sakura thinks it's just all worth it.

* * *

"Oi, Sasuke-kun."

"What now?"

"Naruto help with that cheesy, cliché speech you gave me earlier, didn't he? Only Naruto is that mushy."

"My speech was sappy?"

Sakura nods.

"Damn the idiot. I told him to help me come up with something romantic, not _sappy_!"

"Hey, it's okay. I'm glad you care enough to ask Naruto for help. I know it's not easy for you, but you did it anyway because of me. And I'm touched, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

"Are you blushing? Sasuke-kun, you're just too cute!"

* * *

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